Wire-stretcher



(No Model) B. W. WHITWORTH.

WIRE STRETGHER.

No, 583,722. Patented June 1,1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT O EIcE.

BEVILL W. WIfIITl/VORTH, OF AULLVILLE, MISSOURI.

WlRE-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,722, dated June 1, 1897. Application filed January 5, 1897. Serial ITO-618,058. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LBEvILL W. WHITWORTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aullville, in the county of Lafayette and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Stretchers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in'the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my improved device in position for use. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, a portion of the lever being broken away. Fig. 4 is a front elevation, and Fig. 5 is a detail view of a twisting implement.

In the drawings, A designates theforked or V-shaped member of the stretcher, and B designates the handle or lever, which is pivoted to said. forked support and is provided with arms 0 for engaging with a longitudinal strand-wire D of a wire fence.

All of the parts of the improved stretcher forming the subject of my present invention are preferably made of metal, the member A being a single casting having the diverging arms a a, connected at their inner adjacent ends by a head or rounded body-piece a The outer ends of the arms a a" of said support A are pointed to enable them to be forced into the wood of the post E of the fence and support the other parts of the device. The lower end of the lever B is bifurcated to extend on opposite sides of the said head (1 to which it is pivoted at b, and to said lever, on'

opposite sides thereof, are connected,as aforesaid, the wireengaging arms 0. Preferably these last said arms are mounted on a common transversely-extending rod or bolt 0, which extends across the bifurcation in the lever B near the upper or outer end thereof. The arms 0 being arranged on the outersides of the lever B are adapted to extend on opposite sides of the post E, and each of said arms has formed in its lower edge a series of notches c to receive the wire D to be tightened.

To hold the lever B and arms 0 in the desired relation with respect to the support A of the stretcher and the post E and maintain the wire D in a stretched or taut position while an additional stay-wire E is being applied or the wire D is being otherwire secured in place, a spring-arm F is employed. This spring-arm or lock-finger, which is preferably curved longitudinally somewhat, as shown, is supported on the aforesaid bolt c within the bifurcation formed in the lever B,and the free end projects outwardly beyond the face of the lever and is adapted to take into any of aseries of notches or teeth a, formed in the upper surface or edge of the arm a of the member A.

In case it is desired to secure the wire D, after being drawn taut by the above-described devices, in place by an additional stay-wire, as at E, a twister G of the form shown in Fig. 5 may be employed.

The operation of my improvements will be readily understood from the above description and the drawings.

The pointed ends of the forked support A are engaged with the post, and the wire D to be tightened is engaged by alined notches c in the arms 0. By moving the free end of the lever B outwardly said arms 0 will act to draw the wire D about the post, taking up any slack that maybe present, and the spring-arm F will hold the parts in this position until the wire D has been securely fastened.

It will thus be seen that I am enabled to provide a light but strong and powerfully acting device, consisting of but few parts, not readily displaced or easily broken.

The arms 0 may. be made of one piece, although, as shown in the drawings, I prefer to make them of two pieces of metal bent to extend around three sides of the lever B.

By providing each of the arms 0 with a series of notches I adaptthe implement for use with posts of varying and different sizes and am also enabled to grasp a wire whether the body of the implement is arranged directly in line therewith or not.

What I claim is 1. The herein-described wire-stretcher, it comprising the support, A, having the integral diverging arms, a, a, the lever, B, having its lower end bifurcated and extending on opposite sides of and fulcrumed on the head or body connecting said arms, a, a, the wireengaging arms, 0, arranged on opposite sides of the lever, and the 1ockingpawl pivotally mounted within the bifurcated portion of the lever and adapted to engage with the arm a of the support A to hold the lever and wireengaging arms in any of several adjusted positions, substantially as set forth.

2. The herein-described wire-stretcher, it consisting of a support, A, having the oppositely-inclined arms, a, a, the lever, B, having its lower end bifurcated and extending on opposite sides of the support, A, a pivot-bolt connecting the lever With said support, Wireengaging arms, 0, arranged on opposite sides of the lever, a bolt, 0, connecting said arms and extending across the bifurcation in the lever, and a lock-arm mounted on said bolt or cross-rod, c, and adapted to engage with one of the arms of the support, A, to hold the lever and Wire-engaging arms in any desired I 5 position relative to said support,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence oi? two Witnesses.

BEVILL W. WI'IITWORTII.

Witnesses:

H. H. BRINKOETTER, GEO. C. KLINGENBERG. 

